Students make impressions and molds in clay and them make casts with glue. After the glue dries students remove their fossils.

Students develop abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry. They develop an understanding of chemical reactions, structures and properties of matter. They develop decision-making skills in natural and human-induced hazards.

Pupils are presented a problem concerning an aquifer which may be in danger from overuse by agriculture/industry. They compile data and consult online data and experts in creating a proposal to rectify the situation.

Students trace the stages of gold mining in California. They discuss the life of a gold miner and how the discovery of gold influenced towns and cities in California during the 1949 Gold Rush.

Students investigate how rocks are composed minerals by dissecting rock cookies.

High schoolers perform experiments in which they grow crystals. They draw pictures of where each type of rock originates from. They also identify igneous rocks by using a chart.

Students understand the destructive force of a tornado. They learn the role of a thunderstorm in the creation of a tornado.

High schoolers discover how water moves through different types of soils. In groups, they use the same sample from a previous activity and empty it into a milk carton in which they have layered with cheesecloth to determine the...

High schoolers are introduced to the characteristics and uses of topographical maps. Using a worksheet, they examine the use of specific terminology and use cutouts to create their own topographical map of an area. They answer...

Students discover the interaction of American Literature, politics and the environmental movement. They explore the changing concept and philosophy of wilderness, and explain the development of The National Park System. They read...

Students make a map of an imaginary island using the topographic symbols provided from a worksheet. Students place lakes, dwellins, reefs, etc. in areas where they would logically be located from understanding how the topography of an...

Students explore the geothermal features of Yellowstone National Park. Through a PowerPoint presentation and the use of a Smart Board, students recognize the four geothermal features. They discuss the differences of each feature....

Fifth graders are introduced to the concepts of weathering and erosion. In groups, they rotate between different stations to discover how each process effects different landforms. To end the lesson, they discuss each change in the...

Students map out the bioregions of California by examining the species and environment in different areas of the state. They use information and pictures from a PowerPoint presentation to complete a map handout and play a trivia game.

Fourth graders explore the agents of erosion. They observe rocks that are rough and unweathered and record observations. They investigate rocks rubbed with sandpaper and ones that are not and the effects that the sandpaper has on the...

Students describes the technique of preparing "GIS-ready" data and shows how to map that data and conduct basic analyses using a geographic information system (GIS).They use latitude and longitude fields to plot the data in a GIS and...

Students make observations, estimates, and interpretations. They view Images of the James River at Belle Island, Virginia, including one at flood stage, a plot of peak stream flow since 1935, and an image of potholes in the Petersburg...

Students use topographic maps to identify parts of rivers. In addition, they discover gradient and predict changes in the channels caused by variations in water flow. Other activities include sketching a river model with a new channel...

First graders examine and describe the characteristics of the four seasons. Using a computer, they write one sentence about each of the four seasons and draws an illustration to accompany it. They present each drawing and sentence to the...

Young scholars identify that the crust of the earth is constantly moving and that with the exception of faults accompanied by earthquakes, this rate of movement is far too slow to notice. Then they print a copy of cross-section map A and...

Students study the pH scale and sources of acid precipitation.  In this acid rain lesson students complete a lab on acid rain then complete a handout.

Learners examine the water cycle and the factors that interact with watersheds.  In this watersheds lesson students describe the purification process, trace the flow of infiltrate water through aquifers, and research the Internet to...

Students observe the melting of ice. For this phase change lesson, students observe ice as it melts. They discuss the process and create a Venn diagram comparing water and ice.

Students write a letter to the editor of USA Today. In this letter writing lesson plan, students read a newspaper article about cats and consider a dog or cat's view on current events. Students reflect this perspective in their letters.